‘For inspiration, we go back to family': the Bangkok hotel chef whose authentic cuisine is rooted in his past

The Guardian

16-05-2025

Athiti Moungthong ('Aon' to his friends) lets his food do the talking. In his open kitchen at Waldorf Astoria Bangkok, the unassuming head chef conducts a silent orchestra of Thai sous-chefs. Egos are for Netflix. Here, guests can view a real-life culinary drama while sipping Thai-inspired cocktails such as komen (a blend of Phraya rum, Silpin tamarind syrup and Kopi vermouth) as woks are fired up to full power.
The restaurant at the Waldorf is called Front Room for a reason. Diners are literally and figuratively welcomed into an open salon in the landmark hotel's lobby. Front Room's interiors mirror the contemporary cuisine: sophisticated yet unpretentious. The decor showcases Thailand's famous welcome: comfortable chairs and padded banquettes invite diners to while away hours; and 200 glass lights, which resemble the lanterns lit in Thailand to promote good fortune, illuminate the scene.
Front Room combines a welcoming setting with homely cuisine
The culinary inspiration is ros mue mae, which translates as 'cooked by mother'. Dishes draw ingenuity from generations of time-honoured recipes. 'For Thai people,' says Moungthong, 'sharing food is so important that anyone who could cook in my area of Bangkok was like a hero.'
His foodie passion was fired by his late Bangkok grandmother, Thongyoi, and his first kitchen job was to stir 'her favourite recipe of gaeng som', a staple Thai curry that elevates fisher-fresh seafood with turmeric and limes.
'Sharing food is so important,' says Moungthong
There's one major factor that makes Front Room different from many other restaurants in Bangkok. It showcases Moungthong's passion for presenting the best of Thai cuisine using recipes drawn from all four of Thailand's regions. Thai restaurants tend to be regionally focused, so it's hard to find this lovingly curated flavour combination anywhere else. He draws inspiration from the spicy flavours of Isaan in the north-east, the seafood-rich southern islands such as Koh Samui, the crossroads cuisine of central Thailand, and the hearty and humble dishes of northern Thailand around Chiang Mai.
A collaboration of regional memories produced Front Room's menu of authentic Thai flavours with a modern twist. In Moungthong's words: 'Because our team comes from around Thailand, we brainstormed over lunch and met in the middle!' His colleague Waraporn Kaewpetch, for example, hails from Koh Samui and she shared her mother's recipe for wai khua. This dish takes two ubiquitous island ingredients – squid and coconut milk – to make a texture-rich white curry, cooked with lemongrass and tamarind paste. 'For inspiration, the easiest way is to go back to our family,' says Moungthong.
The open kitchen provides a spectacle for diners, while the comfortable environment invites guests to while away the hours
From the north comes larb, a traditional dish containing seven spices. Yet his version of pla gao nueng phrik larb kua forgoes meat in favour of a flaky southern fish, grouper, which has the heft to soak up spices such as Sichuan pepper, cinnamon and star anise. It's an unforgettable dish that diners will be hard pressed to find elsewhere. 'Thai cuisine is all about balancing the four Ss,' says Moungthong. 'Sour, sweet, salty and spicy with hidden tastes of nutty, bitter and astringent.'
Too spicy for some? 'Thai food is more about bold flavours,' such as holy basil and galangal, says Moungthong, rather than heat. That said, if lowering spices would 'not give the original flavour of the dish, our service team would recommend an alternative'. Authenticity reigns.
Moungthong's colleagues bring the flavours of their regions into the mix
For Moungthong, the ingredients are as important as the recipe. He sources his northern flavours from Or Tor Kor market, near Bangkok's new train terminal, where sleeper trains railroad through the night to Chiang Mai. The market is renowned for its specialist stalls: one dedicated to mangos, another stocking only mantis shrimp. 'Visitors can win at Instagram at Or Tor Kor market,' laughs Moungthong. To reach it, Waldorf guests can board the nearby Skytrain, which zips through Bangkok's 21st-century skyline in air-conditioned silence.
A handful of ingredients are sourced from overseas. Like Japanese Hokkaido scallops, coveted for their meaty nature, which Moungthong dices into his phla lai bua hoy shell, one of his signature dishes. Like most at Front Room, the recipe relies on skill and flawless timing. Phla refers to the base salad of lemongrass, kaffir limes and shallots. 'Then I dress the soup with rice sugar, tamarind juice and dried shrimp,' says Moungthong. The Hokkaido scallop is seared for a single minute, before finishing its ceviche-style cooking process in the soup, alongside pomelo (a giant citrus) and lotus root.
'When guests say that my food is delicious, it makes me happy too,' says Moungthong
Of all Moungthong's dishes, one of his desserts personifies his unpretentious style. Maphrao cheesecake was inspired by Moungthong's original kitchen role as a pastry chef. Served in a bowl shaped like a coconut, the pudding toys with textures of jellied coconut and white chocolate mousse. The result is a sensory climax of feel and flavour.
As satisfied diners depart the Front Room to ride the elevator to one of Waldorf Astoria's panoramic guest rooms, Moungthong is content. 'When guests say that my food is delicious, it makes me happy too,' he says.
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